App Review: Turbo Subs by I-Play with Tips

Turbo Subs is a fun and fast-paced task management app based on the PC game. Rebecca and Robert set out to build a successful sub sandwich shop in an old subway car. To make the shop successful, they must serve their clientele quickly and accurately. Robert makes the sandwiches, and Rebecca serves the food. Everyone is in a hurry these days. If you fall behind, your tips are likely to be smaller and you may lose some of your business.

Your job is to help Rebecca serve the customers. When a customer enters the sub shop, the first thing you must do is to bring them a menu. This is done by tapping on the question mark on the counter in front of them. When the customer decides what they want, the item will appear in a small bubble on the counter in front of them. Tap on the item in the sub shop, and then tap on the bubble on the counter to deliver the item. After you deliver the right food items to the customer, they will leave a tip on the counter. The amount of money that you get in a tip is directly related to how quickly you served them. Tap on the tip to pick it up.

For each level, there is a level goal. To pass the level, you must earn at least that amount of money for that level. There is also an expert goal for each level. If you meet this goal you get a star for the level and bonus money. The money that you earn can be used to upgrade your sandwich shop. You can increase the aesthetics of the shop, increase its efficiency, or even prefill the turbo service meter a little, all of which will help you to meet the monetary goal for the level.

The turbo service meter is located in the bottom right of the screen. To fill this meter, you have to complete combos. Combos are performed when you complete a task successfully 2 or more times in a row. For example, giving two customers a menu in a row or delivering two sandwiches correctly. Once the turbo service meter is full, you are given 30 seconds of turbo service mode. In this mode, Rebecca, Robert, and all the appliances in the sub shop work faster than normal, allowing you to serve more people in less time. Also, combos of 3 or more tasks completed during this time add points to your score instead of filling the turbo service meter. Used well, turbo service mode can really boost your score.

I found Turbo Subs to be an easy game to pick up, and a hard one to put down. The game play is fun and addicting. It seemed a little easier than other time management apps that I have played, possibly making it more friendly to a younger audience. I did, however, have one problem with the app. I had trouble sometimes figuring out which sandwich a customer wanted from the small picture on the screen. Most of the items in the sub shop are easy to identify at a glance, but I had to really look hard at the sandwiches or I would get the orders wrong. Overall, Turbo Subs is a great app that provides hours of entertainment.

Rebecca can carry 2 items at a time and can deliver them to 2 different customers. Take advantage of that and save yourself trips across the sub shop.

Remember that you can dump unwanted items into the recycle bin without any point penalty. This includes wrong orders. If you try to deliver something to a customer and they won’t take it, it is probably the wrong thing. Just drop it in the bin and try again.

Robert only has so much room for sandwiches on the table in front of him. If you ask him to make another, he will set it on the table pushing another sandwich off into the recycling bin. Make sure you pick up sandwiches before they end up in the trash.

When you correctly pick up an item that a customer has ordered, the bubble that their order is in will flash. This flash, or lack thereof can be an early signal that you got an order right or wrong.

If you don’t get an expert score on a level, you can immediately replay the level to get a higher score. Levels that you replay appear to be exactly the same. So, they should get easier with practice.